


Truth and Lies

by TimelessDreamer2



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Honesty, It's a thing?, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimelessDreamer2/pseuds/TimelessDreamer2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Finch told Reese, he would never lie to him, he meant it. Harold Finch <em>cannot</em> lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth and Lies

**Author's Note:**

> It's been done for a while. But I had two different endings and several mixed feelings. 
> 
>  
> 
> But Shibarifan01 demanded and thus I listened and posted. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you, Cheyennesunrise for all the help!

_**Ø** \- Pilot:_

_“They lied to you… I never will.”_

 

Harold Finch meant those words sincerely. While it was not something that most would offer, especially a volatile man like John Reese, it was none-the-less true. Harold honestly could not lie. Not as a child, not as a skeptical, paranoid teenager, and not now. Every time, he bolstered an alias, he was honest. He truly _was_ Crane, and Wren and a host of others. He couldn’t lie and say, if outright asked that was the only person that he was, but he also never volunteered anything that wasn’t asked for, and rarely even answered those questions, preferring to remain quiet and let people jump to their own conclusions.

Harold knew that John didn’t believe him, understandable of course, given the man’s CIA past. But Harold was confident that John would soon learn otherwise. After all.. it had taken a while for Nathan to get used to it too. Harold was confident that after a couple of month, John would figure it out.

 

 

******

 

 

_**I** \- Many Happy Returns:_

_“As it stands, our docket is clear.”_

 

John was still pretty angry at being lied to, but most of it had faded during the long trip back from Mexico. Now, sitting here on that park bench, he kept his voice calm, not wanting to admit to himself how much it had hurt, Harold lying to him. He should have expected it. “I thought you said you wouldn’t lie, Finch.”

“I have not lied to you, Mr. Reese. I did not receive the number until after you had already left the Library.” Harold stated quietly. “I believed at that time, that I could handle it successfully with Detective Carter’s assistance.”

John thought that it sounded like a huge excuse. The problem was, Harold didn’t look like he was lying, but then again, he never looked that way. “You still should have told me.”

“I completely agree, Mr. Reese.” Harold’s expression never wavered. “I should have informed you the moment I received the number. I…” He paused, then turned his head slightly, looking out over the water. “I simply wished to give you something in return for all that you had given me.”

John stared, examining every movement, mulling over every word. His instinct was saying that Harold was telling the truth, but his mind refused to believe it.

Carefully levering himself off of the bench, Harold handed over the business card. “I had intended to give you this earlier, unfortunately, it had fallen out of my pocket.” there was a small nod. “Excuse me. Mr. Reese.”

John examined the small card, and when he looked back up Harold was gone. With a sigh, John shook his head. He would be watching Harold more carefully now, but, John figured he could let this one go.

 

 

******

 

 

_**II** \- Bad Code:_

_“I really did not intend for you to come for me, Mr. Reese.”_

 

Even an hour later, with Harold sleeping off the lingering effects of what he insisted was a simple tranquilizer, that one line kept running through his mind. John wanted Harold to have been lying then. He had to have known that John would come, that there had been no other choice.

His stomach had dropped when Zoe had explained what she had found. He had known then that Harold was the target, finding him gone and the Library empty had only made the feeling worse. That cold pit stayed with him, right up until Root’s gun had gone off in that crowded station. Then, it had exploded, anger and worry vying for dominance.

If Harold hadn’t meant for John to rescue him, then why did he leave his cufflink and the phone code? Had that been a ploy, or was it so that John could grab Root? Harold always worried over the Machine, so it was possible. John would ask him once they were secure.

Would Harold lie or tell him the truth? John wasn’t sure anymore. He hoped that after this, Harold wouldn’t feel that irrational need to hide all the time. John had made his choice two days ago when he stared up at a security camera and stated that he would not do anything without Harold. Hopefully, this would mean Harold, could finally open up and be honest.

John glanced to his right, where Harold was reclined in the seat of the stolen car sleeping fitfully. Shaking his head slightly, John turned back to the road. No, he wouldn’t bring it up just yet, he’d let Harold recover first, insure that Root never bothered his partner again. Then, John would start trying to get Harold to open up.

 

 

******

 

 

 _ **III** \- Triggerman:_

_“Even killers?”_

 

John had kicked himself the minute those two words were out of his mouth, but Harold had just looked at him, and turned to leave, John following behind. It wasn’t until they had left the station that Harold spoke up.

“At one time, my answer to your question would have been different.” Harold’s voice was low, keeping his words only for John. “I would have said that killers had lost the part of their humanity that enabled them to grow and change. No matter how much I believed that at the time, I would have been mistaken. Anyone, Mr. Reese, even a killer, can grow and change.”

Taking a minute to mull the thought over, John finally shook his head. “That wasn’t what you said earlier. You were the one who thought we should protect Annie and not Riley.”

A rare exasperated look, one John almost always associated with guns, settled on Harold’s face. “Yes, I did. Because, I did not believe at that time, that Riley had chosen to change.” Harold spoke stiffly. “My opinion was inaccurate. Your insistence and Riley’s own actions caused me to reconsider.”

“You don’t have to try and make me feel better, Finch, I’m perfectly fine.” In truth, John was touched that Harold had made the attempt, but he really didn’t need it. Riley’s death was his choice, and he saved Annie in the end.

Harold frowned, disapproval radiating from the small man. “If you are insinuating that I am lying to spare your feelings, then you apparently do not know me as well as you think, Mr. Reese. I will call you when we have a new number.”

Puzzled, John watched his partner limp away, wondering what had caused the sudden change in Harold’s attitude.

 

 

******

 

 

 _ **IV** \- Dead Reckoning:_

_“Something you said once. About how sooner or later we'd both probably wind up dead.”_

_“I prefer later. After all, I'm the one who got you into this in the first place.”_

_“I'm pretty sure I'd be dead already if you hadn't found me.”_

_“It's hard to say.”_

_“Not really.”_

 

It was almost sad, in retrospect, how almost dying tended to make people be so open and honest. John was willing to bet that was the first completely honest, on both sides, conversation that he had ever had with Harold. Yet, still his partner had refused to admit what they both already knew. That John would have been dead. No, Harold had refused that thought, again.

Looking to the right, where his partner was fussing with bandages and ointment, John wondered if Harold even knew how much it had meant. How important it was to John to know that Harold had been willing to stay, risk his own life just to give John a chance.

“That was a really stupid move, Harold, staying on the roof. You really need to stop coming after me, it’s going to get you killed.” John pressed his mouth tightly together, that hadn’t been what he wanted to say, he had meant to thank the man, not lecture him.

“I suppose that there are many who would have considered that a foolhardy decision.” Harold agreed, turning awkwardly with his hands full of first aid products. “However, it was the only course of action for me to take.”

John was absolutely sure that was a lie, especially since he could think of at least three other things Harold could have done that didn’t involve him getting blown up. “You could have told me how to do it remotely. Or you could have cut your losses and stayed away.”

Concentrating on working the antibiotic ointment into one of the cuts from Johns fight in Rikers, Harold’s voice was absent. “I suppose that would have been a viable choice for you, Mr. Reese. However, neither was an option that I was willing to take.”

“Why is that, Harold?”

“You have a tendency to undervalue yourself. I, on the other hand, am quite aware of the difference that you make in all things. I needed to be there, to insure that I had done everything in my limited power to insure that you were safe. If I failed, then.” Harold gave an odd one shoulder shrug, awkward and slightly painful looking. “Then, I would have the honor of dying with the most decent man that I have had the pleasure of being acquainted to.” Studying the bruises and scrapes from the fight, Harold made a small face. “These do not appear to be terribly bad, however I must insist that you take a couple of days to recover."

John, with a thousand thoughts fluttering around in his mind, all of them centered around the man hovering at his shoulder, swallowed and nodded.

 

 

******

 

 

 _ **V** \- God Mode:_

_“I always worried that events that I had set in motion… may have… changed things… for you…”_

 

John waited until Harold hand hung up the payphone before speaking. “You know, Harold. If you were that worried about how I would react to all this., you should have just told me.” He didn’t mean it unkindly, simply honestly. It was obvious that to Harold, Nathan was a do not push subject, but he had offered, so John pressed just a bit..

“Just how does one start that conversation? 'Oh, and remember that horrible assignment that ruined your life? Yes, that was my fault.'” Harold stated uneasily. “It is not something easily worked into a casual conversation.”

John was willing to let Harold have that point. “Still, you could have explained it, that would have been better than running off with Root.”

Harold stopped, and expression on his face that John couldn’t read. “This conversation is not the reason that I left. I did not intend to return this time.”

John blinked as Harold started walking again, before using his longer stride to catch up to his partner. “That’s very candid of you, Harold… But what made you think I would let that happen?”

“Simply put, Mr. Reese? You do not trust me. Yes, it is true that there are many things that I would greatly prefer to never be discussed, not just with you but with anyone, however that does not mean that I do not value and trust you as my partner. You do not feel the same. I stated quite plainly that I would never lie to you yet consistently you accuse me of that fault. I can only assume that you do not trust what I tell you. Therefore, why would I assume you would risk capture and possible death simply to save one that you do not trust?” Harold paused, staring up at John. “I was not a number, Mr. Reese, and thus, I was prepared to allow my life to end in order to insure that you would remain free from this situation.”

John shook his head. “Harold, everyone lies. It’s a simple fact. That has nothing to do with whether or not I trust you.”

Harold straightened, a frown firmly on his face. “I don’t.” Those two words were factual. “I cannot lie in fact. It has yet to be explained to my satisfaction why that is, many different doctors have explained to me theories and somewhat garbled medical studies, but the fact remains. I cannot lie. You may do with that information as you will, Mr. Reese.”

John watched, as Harold started away, obviously finished with the conversation. Still, adding that into everything that he already knew about Harold, explained quite a bit. All those times John had thought Harold was either making an excuse or was outright lying, it was really the exact opposite. Now, he just had to figure out what to do about it, and about the fact that Harold felt this was a one sided partnership.

 

 

******

 

 

_**VI** \- Mors Praematura:   
_

_“Mr. Reese, tracking Miss Shaw is your top priority.”_

_“Alright… But Finch… I’m here if you need me.”_

 

John paced from one end of the safehouse to the other, eyes occasionally flicking to the closed bathroom door, hands clenching occasionally as he moved. Sloan was across the spacious apartment they had been using recently, trying to wash off all the gasoline. Presumably, Harold was in the other bathroom, doing the same thing. It was close tonight, too close for John’s comfort. This had been a much closer call than the incident with Kruger, and Harold’s sudden insistence at taking a more active role was starting to bother John.

He’d been wondering if it all wasn’t related to last real conversation they had. Oh, they still talked, but it wasn’t the same anymore. It was all professional, with almost none of the teasing that had become so common before. Even at the vet, with Bear, Harold had been tense the entire time.

John’s thoughts and pacing stopped the instant that the bathroom door opened, and Harold stepped out. The simple white button shirt and black slacks were a far cry from his usual immaculate suits, and he was just settling his glasses back onto his nose.

John crossed the space between them in an instant. “Are you alright, Harold?”

Harold shifted a bit, and answered quietly. “Yes, Mr. Reese. The gasoline doesn’t appear to have caused any ill effects.”

John paused, eyes sweeping over Harold, reassuring himself that his partner was unharmed. “Harold… Why didn’t you call me?” He kept his voice low.

“As I explained earlier, locating Miss Shaw is your top priority. I saw no point in distracting you from that.” Harold answered just as quietly.

John shook his head. “Shaw can take care of herself.” He followed as Harold moved to sit down. “I need to tell you something important.” John dropped gracefully into a chair and looked Harold directly in the eye. “I don’t want you to do that _ever_ again,” he said firmly.

Harold blinked. “I assure you that I have no intention to.”  

“I understand, Harold, but just hear me out,” John implored. “Please.”

Harold nodded and made a ‘go ahead’ motion with his hand.

“What if I hadn’t gotten there on time?” he asked in a tight voice. John paused for a moment as he considered his next words. “I would be here alone,” he said softly, answering his own question.

“I can’t do it, Harold. I’m not going to let it happen again. You told me once that even though we could both die that you would rather it be later, right?” John only waited long enough for Harold to nod before continuing. “I’d rather it be later too. I told your Machine that I wouldn’t do this without you. I haven’t changed my mind.”

Harold looked slightly baffled. “Mr. Reese, I understand that it was a close call tonight, but I think you are taking this a bit far.” Disbelief was plain in his tone.

“Harold, you’ve never lied to me, and I’m not lying now. Ask Leon if you like, he was there.” A small smile crossed his face remembering how panicked Leon had been then. “The point is… this isn’t a one sided partnership. You’ve said before that you couldn’t do this without me, and I’m saying the same thing.”

John made sure that his eyes were locked with Harold’s. For several minutes the two stared at each other, with no audible words spoken but their eyes saying everything. Slowly, John inched closer and then paused as the muted sounds of footsteps came from the hall.

Sloan, rounded the corner, paused, then asked. “Is everything okay?”

Harold blinked. “Oh, Mr. Sloan." His eyes stayed on John's. "I believe that it will be, yes.”

  
  



End file.
